To the editors:
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Before NPR even committed to carrying Heat, we at Murray Street and KQED chose to start with these major media markets, and got commitments from 13 of the top 20. Over the past few months, it showed an impressive gain of medium sized and smaller markets and success with audiences in places like Cedar Falls, IA; Huntsville, AL; Madison, WI; and Buffalo, NY.
- The price tag. Heat is the least expensive of all national programs, coming in under $3000 per program hour. The nearest competitor costs about twice that amount. Other national series cost up to $50,000 per hour. Heat was designed to be a vehicle that, once established, could live within the revenue limits of the public radio system. What it needed was the time given other vehicles like All Things Considered and Morning Edition, to become established and known to the audience.
Even now, ATC, Morning Edition, Fresh Air and Marketplace are planning to bring elements of Heat in to their shows. The ideas–and plenty of the Heat regulars–will be turning up in lots of places. That’s the only thing that could make this long and arduous expedition worthwhile.
